


it’s not trivial

by road_less_taken



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, M/M, Royal Spoilers, akechi doesn’t know how to comfort people, lots of crying on Akira’s part
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:28:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25933666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/road_less_taken/pseuds/road_less_taken
Summary: Every instinct, every collected mannerism Akira had ever kept up, every façade hidden behind Joker’s mask suddenly unravelled onto Akechi’s shoulders. It wasn’t Akira grabbing onto Akechi’s shoulders so hard it turned his knuckles white, it was a desperate stranger, too overcome with responsibility to accept it.“Trivial? Trivial?! What the hell?! Goddamnit Akechi!”
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira
Comments: 2
Kudos: 138





	it’s not trivial

**Author's Note:**

> HEHJFKSKD ok 2/2 gave me a whole new platform for my shuake shenanigans and I just
> 
> I want Akiren to just c r y  
> Like get all that out man you poor thing
> 
> Also Akechi doesn’t know how to comfort people huh

Once Akira realised the truth, the pin really did drop.

He knew he should have been listening. Maruki was sitting right in front of him, his expression changing with each piece of information given to him, but Akira was unable to process any of it.  
The only audible things to Akira were his heartbeat and the sound of Akechi talking.

Talking about how he was alive  
How that was a lie  
How Goro Akechi died inside of Masayoshi Shido’s palace  
And how Goro Akechi was only alive because Akira needed him to be.

Nothing could be heard until Maruki was staring straight into his eyes, possibly even into his thoughts.  
“But I’m still going to ask you,” Maruki spoke as if it were only another day of his work, as if he was still sitting down with a troubled teenager in need of guidance over minuscule problems, “one last time: Will you accept the reality I create for you?”

_But I can’t… no, it’s impossible to agree to a reality like this.  
But Akechi…_

Akira could taste the blood beating through his body, shaking from the stress. Meanwhile, all Maruki did was smile and press.  
“You were the guiding light to my research. You showed me…”

_Why? Why me? Why did I have to be the one to make this decision?_  
The frustration of the burden was too much. Too. Goddamn. _Much_. Akira was struggling to breathe, only managing to hide it.  
_What..? What makes me in charge of this decision?_

Miraculously, Maruki stood up from his seat.  
“I’ll be going now.” Even still, he looked at Akira expectantly.  
“...You forgot something.” That’s all Akira could say as he tossed Maruki’s calling card across the table. For the first time ever, his hands shook after sending the call card. Not from anticipation, but from anxiety.

After mumbling more spaced out gibberish to Akechi, who was impatiently and awkwardly standing by the entrance, Maruki finally made his leave. Finally, Akira could think, he could see and hear again.  
“...What are you going to do?” A small voice, Akira looked down. Morgana, the cat who changed his life. Is it his fault Akira has to make these choices..?  
Before he could answer that, he was cut off by—  
“I’d like to speak with Akira.” That voice. Akira tilted his head to face him, Goro Akechi. Prince detective and culprit behind the mental shutdown cases plaguing Japan. Also the man who Akira had blissfully fallen in love with.  
Morgana understood, earning Akira’s gratefulness, then left to the attic. Then it was just Akira, and Akechi.

What could Akira say? Goro Akechi is dead, but not right now. Right now, Akechi is standing in front of Akira, ready to die. Before Akira is prepared, Akechi speaks.  
“...I will carve my own path for myself.” Akechi’s voice was cold but not in a dark way. Cold as in he knew what had to be done, and he was going to do everything in his power to accomplish it, “I refuse to accept a reality concocted by someone else, stuck under their control for the rest of my days.” Akira understood, he knew that’s what Akechi is like. Akechi requires control and cannot operate without it, regardless of his position in a team or situation. Akira knew that, but right now he wished Akechi would just _shut up._  
“But, you’ll…” That’s all Akira could manage, choking back emotions and unnecessary statements.  
“So what?” Akechi responded, completely unfazed, “That’s the path I chose.” He looked away, obviously reflecting on every decision he made in the past to every last detail. “All you have to do is stick to your guns and challenge Maruki. Or are you really so spineless that you’d fold over some bullshit, trivial threat over my life?”

That was the word. _Trivial_. Akira couldn’t stand hearing that word come from Akechi.

Every instinct, every collected manner Akira had ever kept up, every façade hidden behind Joker’s mask suddenly unravelled onto Akechi’s shoulders. It wasn’t Akira grabbing onto Akechi’s shoulders so hard it turned his knuckles white, it was a desperate stranger, too overcome with responsibility to accept it.

“Trivial? _Trivial?!_ What the _hell?!_ Goddamnit Akechi!” Akira shook Akechi with every ounce of grief stored in his body, “How could you say that to me? Me, of all people?! I ca—“ Suddenly, Akira felt a forceful weight on his shoulders, closer to his neck than anything.  
“Akira wake up!” Akechi yelled, it was enough to stop Akira mid shake, “I’m dead, Akira! I’m not saying these things because I want to die, I’m saying these things because I’m dead and I refuse to live on as Maruki’s bloody puppet!” For the first time ever, Akira could detect even the tiniest piece of sorrow in Akechi’s voice. “Goro Akechi is… is dead! People don’t come back from the dead just because you really want them to Akira! Fighting for the true reality to ensure people face hardships and grow as people, isn’t that your whole basis for challenging Maruki?!”  
“I challenged him because..!” Akira’s throat tightened, realising what he was about to say. His grip softened and his knees began to buckle. 

_What kind of justice is this?_

“Why.” Akechi could tell Akira was retreating, but he didn’t care, moreso he did care, but he wouldn’t stop for it, “Why did you challenge Maruki, Kurusu?”

_Silence._  
Not a long silence, but a noticeable one. Akira had pulled death stunts, destroyed the life of a man who destroyed his, and now he couldn’t even bring himself to tell the Prince in front of him his feelings.  
All Akira could do was helplessly stare into Akechi’s eyes, looking for something, anything. But when he found something.  
_Tears._  
Not visible, but they were there, lining Akechi’s perfect eyelashes. That’s when Akira knew.  
“I did it because…

Because I knew you couldn’t stand a world like that.”  
Akechi, clearly taken aback, let go of Akira. Instead, examining Akira for every inch of his body, looking for any sign of deception or untruthfulness. “You like control, Akechi. I know that. I don’t want you to live in a world you don’t like. I just…” Akira looked up, only to be met with the face of the now vulnerable Prince Detective, eyebrows tense, fist clenched and eyes partially watering.

Finally Akira spilled.

He collapsed onto Akechi, sobbing desperately. It was completely undignified, lacking any sort of composure Akira had built for himself beforehand. It was messy and loud, coming in on waves of “your life isn’t trivial” and “you can’t leave me again, I can’t lose you again!” and of course, “Akechi”, “Akechi”, “Akechi”. Akira could do nothing but cry Akechi’s name, the thought of Akechi leaving him forever unable to leave his mind.

Akira wasn’t sure how long he cried for, but it felt like an eternity before his sobs subsided and were instead replaced with an embrace. Akira gasped when he realised whose arms it was curling around his back, sheltering him.  
“I made my decision, Akira.” Akechi’s voice was melancholic in his ear, reflecting the cracks of hidden cries, “I need you to make yours.”  
There was nothing else left for Akira to cry, no tears or wails left to be exhausted, all he could do was quietly attempt to calm himself on Akechi’s shoulder.

“So, when you came to LeBlanc that day and said, ‘Honey, I’m home.’, did you..?” Akechi’s voice was soft, softer than Akira ever imagined he’d hear it.  
“I’m sorry, I guess seeing you gently sitting in LeBlanc like that got to me” Akira laughed in between staggered breaths and sniffs.  
“I’m sorry I think I’m just… In shock that you… shall we say, swing that way?”  
“What? Oh, right. I don’t have a preference but, you’ve been on my mind for a while.”  
“Hmm, how so?” Akechi sounded interested now, as if Akira hadn’t been crying into his shoulder for the past ten minutes.  
“Well, when I found out you were trying to kill me, that was a few points deducted. But otherwise, you’re just really smart. Also, I’m a fan of hard workers, you strike me as the kind of guy who just wants someone to bring him coffee while he works.”  
“...Akira are you… saying..?” Sometimes Akira wished his crush wasn’t so awkward around the concept of romance.  
“Yes, Akechi. I’m in love with you. Which is why I can’t…” Akechi stepped back, flimsily cupping Akira's face in his hands as he moved back. Akira averted his eyes. “Akechi how do I make this decision? I’m just some… some… criminal trash living in an attic.” Akira couldn’t stop his tears at the mention of those words. “How— no, why do I have to make this decision? Why me of all the people in this world, Goro?”  
The stare Akechi gave Akira was pitiful, almost. Placing a piece of hair behind Akira’s ear, Akechi whispered,  
“Akira, you’re the only one who can.”

Akira was refreshed by those words. In that moment, that was all he needed to hear in order to make his decision.  
“I know,” He sniffed, sighed, then cleared his throat, “I know that you’d be unhappy living here. I know I want you to live with me, to have a life with me, but I can’t do that to you. I’m going to take on Maruki.” Akira beamed with those words, Akechi giving him an expectant smile in return.  
“That’s my Akira.” He stepped closer to Akira, proud and satisfied with him.  
Akira draped his arms over Akechi’s shoulders, pulling him in for a long-awaited kiss. Awkward at the start, sponsored by Akechi, but became a mixture of desperation, affection and grief. Warm skin flushed against cold as both tongues pushed greedily against each other, only interrupted by the biting of lips. Akira felt one cold hand snake around his waist and another run under his messy hair, pulling to a comfortable extent, but enough to drive Akira dizzy with pleasure. It never seemed to end, every time they ran out of air they’d break only to reconvene seconds later. It was passionate, but also cold. It was a reflection of the couple, the attraction of an opposite. It was most likely another 15 minutes until they were both satisfied, breaking apart to catch their breath for real.

“Akechi please, spend one last night with me.” Akira held Akechi by the hand, almost tugging it. “I’m… I guess you already know I’m seriously going to miss you once this is—“  
“I don’t need you crying on me anymore tonight.” Akechi dusted his shoulder off, “And uhm… I think I’d appreciate that very much.”

That night, the burden of decision, of God’s and personas didn’t seem that awful to Akira. After all, under what other circumstances would he be able to become dimensionally tied to the beautiful boy snuggled into his chest?

_It’s my decision hm?_  
Akira tightened his grip around Akechi.  
_I’m going to use every decision I have to make you happy, Goro Akechi._


End file.
